How To Make an Egg Wash and Use It To Create Golden, Baked Goods

When recipes or cooking directions call for egg wash, knowing why and how to use it will help you get the best results. An egg wash imparts a pleasing color and shine to your baked goods, but it also acts as a natural adhesive.

What Is Egg Wash?

Egg wash is a mixture of beaten egg and liquid (usually water or milk) that is brushed onto baked goods like pastries before baking. It adds shine and color and helps to seal up edges. When recipes or cooking directions call for egg wash, knowing why and how to use it will help you get the best results.

How To Use Egg Wash

Egg wash can be used on foods beyond just pastries. For example, duchess potatoes are usually brushed with egg wash before baking. When deciding whether to use egg wash, it's helpful to know what the mixture is good for. Seeds will stick to your bread, raw sugar to your pie crust, and breadcrumbs to your cutlet. You can also seal dumplings or stuffed pasta with a simple egg wash.

Color

Egg wash helps give a golden brown sheen to soft bread like dinner rolls, Danish pastry, cinnamon rolls, brioche, and challah.

Structure

Egg wash can also be used as a sort of glue to secure two edges of pastry together, as when making filled pastries, double-crust pies, empanadas, or en croûte (in crust) recipes. This works because the protein in the egg coagulates when it's cooked, forming a stiff bond.

If you're sprinkling your pastry or bread with sugar or spices, brushing it with egg wash first will help the granules stick to the surface instead of spilling off.

When Do You Use a Butter Wash?

Butter wash (simply melted butter) is best for yeasted recipes like brioche or dinner rolls.

How to Use Leftover Whites or Yolks

• How to freeze leftover egg whites: If you freeze leftover whites until you've accumulated enough for a recipe, you won't have to waste yolks or throw away whites that have sat in the fridge too long. You can make any number of exciting desserts with your frozen whites, from this elegant torte to these adorable floating meringues.
• How to freeze leftover egg yolks: Unfortunately, you can't just throw egg yolks in the freezer. They'll become a gelatinous mess unless you add a few simple ingredients. Consider making these walnut cookies or these chessman cookies with your thawed yolks.

The Best Pastry Brush to Use

A silicone pastry brush is preferable for applying egg wash because the bristles won't become glued together, and the silicone bristles don't absorb odors or fats the way natural bristles do.

What You'll Need To Make An Egg Wash

A Handy Whisk

A Mixing Bowl

A Silicone Spatula